Dark Buddha Rising – Mathreyata

Label: Svart Records
Release date: 13-11-2020

Intro

Finnish “dark underlords of psychedelic drone” Dark Buddha Rising have returned with their heaviest and darkest record, “Mathreyata”. The band recorded the basis of the album just before the Waste of Space Orchestra project began and therefore, it took a few years to get “Mathreyata” finished. Finally the material that was performed live for several years can be experienced as a recorded album now.

Review

Slow and heavy… “Mathreyata” consists of four songs lasting for almost 45 minutes. The magical harmony of doom and psychedelia will lure you in in an instant and you will go within, to the darkness. I like to think of this as a concept record. Layer by layer, we are taken to different dimensions as the band introduces different elements and emotions. There is an atmospheric and slow start with “Sunyaga” and the dynamic and ‘aggressive’ ending with “Mahatgata III”. However, what counts is what happens in-between these two contrasts.

In general, “Mathreyata” is mostly instrumental in a way to put the listener in a trance. At times, the growls or the ‘clean’ vocals add a nice dimension to the overall structure and take us out of the ‘ordinary’. In this sense, the record itself is progressive with many changes in the rhythm and melodies; there are no repeating patterns but ever-changing pace. This is quite interesting for a doom-y record like this and one of the strengths of this release for sure.

At this point, I want to mention my personal favorite “Mahatgata III”. The vocals are the most ‘obvious’ in this one, dominating the song and giving it a shamanic touch. I found myself dancing and moving to this one; it has that sinister and dark energy. The peak point, though, is how the song – and the record – ends after that intense build-up: With a boom and that explosion, the second half of the song leaves us speechless and captivated. Upon each listen, I am still fascinated by all the arrangements and production which resulted in this masterpiece of a song and the album.

Do I need to say anything more? “Mathreyata” is THE record you need for this dark season. Especially recommended for the fans of (doom) yoga, spiritual magick, and psychedelia/doom/drone.

Tracklist
01. Sunyaga
02. Nagathma
03. Uni
04. Mahatgata III

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